Do not be conformed...

 

Do not be conformed but transformed in the way we process information through our minds, with the aim of being converted into the image of Christ and it all begins with our understanding on faith, which is a affluence on the things we hope for. So long as that hinges on the ultimate will of our heavenly Father, no matter what is thrown at us we will find grace to overcome, its only when we get in the way of our transformation that we have extra heartache. Which earthly father doesn’t want to give good gift to their children, how much more then will our heavenly Father look out for His children. Once the lesson is learnt a blessing follows. Sadly the same lesson can take a lifetime for some.   

 

The secret is aligning our perceptions and our understanding on the will of God for our lives. This journey  lasts a lifetime. How often do we pray and yet we do not receive? Why is that? Because we ask amiss. Our minds get in the way of our Fathers will for our lives. This is how we need to process information, trust God for our lives, even when everything around us screams “RUN!” Abraham the Father of faith is a perfect example, he was willing to sacrifice Isaac the son of promise, because he believed God. I wonder what was going through his mind once he had tied up his son and placed him on the altar, try and allow you mind to comprehend, there he stood knife in hand and ready to strike. Was there doubt in his mind? The writer of Hebrews doesn’t give us any, absolute commitment in faith towards His God.  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

 

It’s easy to trust when we have enough money on hand to buy a loaf of bread but something altogether when our pockets are empty. I know, for most, this experience would remain a distant thought and not a reality, so I say, find something that’s specific to your situation and apply yourself in faith through your mind’s eye and then see that chink in your life as an opportunity to glorify our heavenly Father. Its easy to run with the though, why me? This in itself goes far deeper than the surface, of this I am convinced. Nevertheless, it would be good to at least land on this conclusion; why not me! We often end up reaping what we have sowed, however God is gracious and when we have learnt the lesson he will bring reprieve. And even if it doesn't come, will we stand firm on the finished work of the cross? Its at these times in our lives that we need to tap into the hope that we as Christians have. Unbelieve thrives in uncertainty.   

The world looks to highjack us with a "victim" type mentality. And Satan feeds the lust of our flesh, that which cries out within our minds, an itch that needs scratching, nothing more than us looking to quench our sinful activities. An action of reflex... Then we have the lust of our eyes, when we see something that we want and are so driven by that thought that we will do whatever it takes to possess it. And finally the pride of life, “how dare someone wrong me, who do they think they are?” and revenge kicks in. These are the attributes our beloved brothers John and Paul warns us to be on the lookout for when it comes to the worlds influence. “Do not be conformed” is Paul's warning, “put off" that way of thinking and replace it with Abraham’s way of thinking, in faith, trusting our God through the trial and not buckling under the pressure. Theory is a wonderful gift from God to us, but does it really count if we understand a truth but lack applying its effect into our lives. As I look into the review mirror, my life has been filled with hypocrisy, not understanding a truth and then applying myself to it in error. Only because I wanted to indulge in a sinful habit and excuse my behaviour as acceptable. I used grace as a license to sin for a time. Its obvious to conclude such a thought when we obviously walk in rebellion to the call of God upon our lives. It is easier to repent from such a position. But what of our standing when we believe we are more or less towing the line? If we are honest and call on the grace of God to strip us bare and understand our own minds, its these areas, the little foxes that spoils the vines that we must not ignore. And this is how it sometimes plays out; understanding a truth but lacking the commitment to it. Let us not make this mistake, when we “put off” the ways of the world, we must “put on” the way of our heavenly Father. When temptation arises, how do I handle the trial? Do I grit my teeth and bare it for a while and then say enough and yield? It’s only once we come through the trial without yielding that we succeed. Theory is never enough to glorify God, we must be practical in application. So how do I succeed? When the temptation arises, I purposefully run to the cross. In that exact trial I stop what I am doing and open the bible and begin to read. This is how we “put off” and “put on”. We shift our focus from the temptation onto the finished work of the cross, we take our eyes off our struggle and remember what it cost the Lord to die in our place. This is transformation as opposed to conformation of the world’s way of thinking.

 “To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone

The Second Death

 

Just as the season have their times, so too will death have its time, or rather deaths have their times, yes their times! We are all well aware of the fact that death is part of life’s cycle, but how many truly understand that there is a death after death, it is known as the second death! It is hard to articulate something that has not been part of a person’s life. If I had to speak to you about demonic oppression, the response would vary, some believe it because the Bible speaks of it. But take the disciples and their understanding of demon possession and it takes on a whole different dimension. For them it was a common occurrence as they personally witnessed encounters where the Lord Jesus expunged demons out of individuals. Once we have witnessed an encounter where a demon take hold of an individual, it is no longer an idea but reality. So, having witnessed it first-hand it is easy for me to engage on a discussion around that topic. The first death is the same, we have all been touch by death in one way or another, and we understand it. However, when it comes to the second death which is only a detached idea for some, it remains a distant consideration. And if we do not take it seriously, when the time comes, it will be too late and the consequences catastrophic.

 

Please pay this matter very precise attention and pass this message on…

 

Today I wish to explore this topic and help us understand how this will distress some but not others. The truth of the matter is this death does not mean an end to our existence as we have been created with an eternal faculty, that part of us that lives forever. How does it work? Our soul is linked to our mind which stores our memories and is all intertwined so when our bodies die, that is our flesh. There is a part of us that enters a new dimension, our soul/spirit leaves our body and then there will be no more deceit of lies and we will enter the spiritual world that has always been there. We need to ensure that we will be ready for this part of our journey. How will we find favour? The only way a Christian is able to access good will from the Creator of all things, the great I AM! Is through faith, which in turn taps us into that part of our souls which will move into the next realm, the spiritual world. How is it done? That is a simple answer, repentance, confession whilst calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and believing that God raised him from the dead. When this encounter becomes a personal life-changing event in one’s life, they are “born again” and their spiritual eyes open, their understanding is enlightened, for the very first time they see the bigger picture. This is when faith kicks in and an eternal hope is ignited. I remember that day very clearly, almost 35 years ago, what a day that was, praise God!

 

Now there are others that practice Satanism and other forms of witchcraft in order to tap into that realm that needs quenching. God created us with a desire to worship Him, sin entered in and that relationship was tarnished way back in the beginning. However, the want to worship is alive in all. Think about it, examine if what I say holds true, examine your own life and see what drives you? If its money and things, then that's what you worship. Money is your idol! The list is endless. 

 

We all have a flesh and blood body and then a hidden soul/spirit which is not visible to the naked eye. Make no mistake, there is no exception to the rule. Some will live eternally grateful, whilst others will forever be in torment and it all hinges on the decisions we make on earth. I have done my best to help you understand, please give this some serious attention.  

 

Let me now back this thought up by scripture…              

 

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’” (Revelation 2:11) 

“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

(Revelation 20:6)

 

“Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14) 

 

“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”  (Revelation 21:8)

 

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 

 

Signing out

 

Tyrone

The struggle of the mind-revisited

I have notice how we may believe something to be true but not favour the reality of that truth unfolding in our lives. I say that “God knows best” and that He is in control of all things, which is obviously an undeniable fact. But as soon as my life does not pans out the way I have hoped I feel my hope dwindling, even if concealment to others is on view. I know my heart on the matter. The question of “why” begins to dominant my thoughts all over again. I then begin to play my efforts out against my rewards. O wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death? I need to be freed from myself and the wars within. The consolation I find whilst reasoning it all out, is that I am not alone on this difficulty, as I look around I see others fighting similar battles; the hostilities within repeatedly rages. But five years down the line with this particular thought and by the grace of God, my mind has taken on a slightly different understanding, it’s not as frantic, it may still be hard pressed but praise God I can see growth. But know this, the more we look to learn about the purposes of God the harder the struggle and the hardship will become.

 

Struggling and suffering of all kinds is part of God’s design to help us understand the hope, which we have in Him, that one day we will be like our great Saviour. We will not only be with God, in his presence, but we will be LIKE HIM. No more struggles with the flesh, no more pity parties and so on. In my experience the clearer we begin to see this reality as our actuality the tighter the screw on the trials of life will stiffen. The whole of creation was created to bring Glory to God and reveal His character. Sin has interfered with that process, or so it would seem, when in fact, even sin will be used to the glory of God as it drives people to their knees calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved, in and through repentance of their own sin. 

 

Even creation has been effected by sin. Look at a rose, filled with aphids, or a dessert without vegetation, it’s all because of the effect of one man’s sin and His rebellion against God. However even in the chaos of it all, God is in perfect control and this is what I find at times hard to comprehend. When life is running smoothly and all of its challenges are systematically slotting into place without too much resistance, life is manageable. It’s like sailboat been driven by the wind without any tacking needed. But when hardship becomes the norm, our faith is severely tested and this reveals who we are in Christ. I sit here even now and question, where has my zeal gone? And the first thought that comes to mind is forgive me Father, but please re-kindle the zeal that once was mine. I realised that it was filled without knowledge way back when, but that was an exciting time…

 

The sole purpose of God’s creation is to bring glory to Him. We were created as being to worship Him. Now back to the hardship we face as believers. It is by design, the fall of mankind requires hardship in our lives to bring us to our senses, and it refines our understanding, which must eventually land on the good, perfect and expectable will of God. The difficulty I face is the constant war that always looks for a reason why something hasn’t panned out the way I had hoped? My alignment looking to rearranged the Word of God in my life. This is my struggle, back and forth with these thoughts, over and over again. Always looking for some formula to apply that may stick and have a positive outcome to my current predicament. Where do we draw the line? How much of me and then how much of God, the war is fierce!

 

The answer is obvious, even if my mind looks to find something deeper, which is nothing more than humanism rearing its head. The answer is God first and His righteousness and then the rest will follow according to His good pleasure. With unpredictable tests along the way, which will test our faith. There will be times where we will nose-dive but the times that we find the grace to thrust through it all, they will be sweet and will strengthen us beyond understanding. We need to regularly trim our sails when it comes to the trials of life and the reasons for them, if not we will soon find ourselves groping in the dark and asking the question “WHY?” over and over again.

 

When I say God is in control, hoping that I may find a favourable outcome concerning a deal that I am hoping for and it doesn’t pan out as expected, this is when my battle begins. Exonerate me Father as I try to force your hand. At the very core of my heart I am hoping that you will intervene and act favourably and when it doesn’t happen I am disappointed, forgive me! But I would also be lying if I didn’t say that release is often a comforting emotion as it releases tension.

 

Help me to rest in you is my prayer and I also pray for all those who face similar struggles, all honour and glory belongs to our God and to our King, praise the name of Jesus Christ my Lord, now and forever more, Amen!

 

There is a day coming when the whole of creation longingly awaits its change, where sin will no longer be consequential, and what I find amazing is that day will only ever arrive when the saints are changed into the likeness of Christ. The universe in its entirety, the seen and the unseen worlds of this universe waits for our (the Christians) transformation before it will receive it conversion, Wow! We serve an awesome God who is filled with unmeasurable mercies and we await an inheritance that will blow our minds. We think we know what that will be like, and yet we have only scratched the surface.

 

Our current sufferings are a light affliction in comparisons to what will one day be ours in Christ. Beloved focus on the hope that is set before us and we will get through another day and each and every other day that follows. But we must remember to continually “trim our sails” with the WORD of GOD.  

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone